Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 10, 1999 03:29am | #1

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   frank, if it came from the backside, i believe you be screwed. You might try sanding the areas but i don't think it will help. Try running this message in the Knots section, maybe someone has refinished redwood and can help. best of luck.

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   Guest_ | Dec 10, 1999 06:19am | #2

   *Frank,You don't have to replace the wood. I have taken out water stains from red cedar using a pressure washer. I've also removed stains on many types of wood inside my home using this method and have had great results. Sanding won't remove water stains. Many people will advise you not to use a pressure washer on wood because it can damage the grain. They are right if you use too high of a pressure. The pressure washer I use is a Karcher 1200 psi model(don't go higher than 1200psi). You could probably get it at Home Depot for about $200. It's great for cleaning your car aswell.When you clean wood with a pressure washer, start about 2ft from the wood surface. Begin with a sweeping motion of the nozzle(like painting a wall) then move the nozzle closer until you see the stain starting to disappear. This should happen within a few seconds. Keep the nozzle at the same distance from the wood and continue along your board to remove all the stains. If you see the wood grain starting to rise then just back off a little. If you do get some small splinters you can easily sand them off.You can use this method inside your house aswell. A pressure washer is not like a garden hose. It shoots very little water but at a very high speed. To do your boards on the inside, you have to shoot bursts of water at the stains until they disappear. This way you don't get a lot of water inside the house. Place a towel around the area that you want to clean and aim the nozzle in that area and give shortburst of water near the towel. Make sure you don't hit your hand with the nozzle(it hurts...alot...I found out already!). Wear a set of leather utility gloves. Wipe up excess water with the towel after every couple of burst.I know this may sound crazy to a lot of guys here at Breaktime, but "IT WORKS GREAT". I cleaned alot of stained wood inside and outside my house this way. After you've cleaned the wood, let it dry and then protect it with a finish.Oh..before I forget, if you have gaps in your T&G boards, try to press a towel or rag into that area before you spray to limit the water that might get in there.Try this out on a test piece if your not to sure about this method. Let us know how it works out.Good luck!Gaby

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   Guest_ | Dec 10, 1999 03:56pm | #3

   *Gaby, this work on redwood? The water caused the stains? If it does work, you too are a genius. Rent the tool, don't encourage HD.

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   Guest_ | Dec 11, 1999 02:44am | #4

   *Calvin, it will work with redwood. I believe that redwood stains similar to red cedar. The stain you see is the tannic acid is brought to the surface by stagnant water that soaks into the wood. The water coming from the pressure washer is very little but at high speed. It removes the stain without soaking the wood. The wood dries quickly with no staining. Washing the entire board is the best because everything evens out. Renting the tool is a good idea. I bought one because I wanted one.I'm not a genius. I discovered this by accident when I wanted to clean some stains off my cedar fence before I treated it. I started washing some dirt off when I realized that the water stains are coming out aswell. Since then I've been cleaning all my wood stains this way. Works on weatherd wood aswell. Brings it back to almost new without chemicals.Try it! It's grrrrrreat!Gaby

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   Daryl_Scherkenbach | Jan 11, 2000 03:46am | #5

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   I also recently bought a 'used' NoCal home with water stained redwood interior siding. I got good results by using a combination of palm sander and wire brush. Our siding is rough side out, so I used the palm sander sparingly -- only for the worst spots. Then I vacuumed and/or wiped the dust off. The area was usually lighter than it had been, so then I applied a little oil (I just used what I had on hand, which was furniture oil) with a cloth. If you look closely you can see that the wall is not perfect, but it's vastly improved -- well worth the effort.

3. 
   frank_h_ward | Jan 11, 2000 05:05am | #6

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   Help! Help!
   I just bought a 12 year old house on the northern California coast and the inside is finished with untreated 1"x6" tongue and groove redwood lumber. On the soffits and side walls, in some places, water leaks have stained the redwood. Can I get the stains out or do I have to replace the boards?

4. 
   Guest_ | Jan 11, 2000 05:05am | #7

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   Gaby's right about the pressure washer. I have T&G cedar on my house and after a few years of rain splash and weathering the wood, from the ground up to about three feet,was really nasty looking. Hit it with the pressure washer, raised very little grain and it looked as if I had installed new stuff straight from the mill.

   I also have a lot of cedar inside the house too, but if I tried that trick inside my wife would hand me my head.

   Ralph